Velocity flowmeters



Dec. 21, 1965 A. J. SIPIN VELOCITY FLOWMETERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Aug. 19, 1958 was.

FIG.4.

INVENTOR. ANAmLE J S/P/A 61% MWZZ ATTORNEY Dec. 21, 1965 A. J. sIPIN 3,224,272

VELOCITY FLOWMETERS Original Filed Aug. 19, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CAPACITIVE CARRIER L|NE BR'DGE -CARRIER FREQUENCY -u- FREQUENCY 142 FREQUENCY DETECTOR OSCILLATOR MODULATOR l 148 AMPLIFIER 144 M L-I- 4. y 152 S POWER 145 150 1 AMPLIFIER 146 MOTOR 156 135 GENERATOR INVENTOR' INDICATOR ANATOLE I/ S/P/N ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,224,272 VELOCITY FLOWMETERS Anatole J. Sipin, 117 E. 77th St., New York, N.Y. Original application Aug. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 755,913. Divided and this, application Feb. 11, 19,63, Ser. No. 257,661

3 Claims. (Cl. 73231) This invention relates to an improvement in velocity flowmeters of the axial flow turbine type. The present application is a division of my now abandoned application Serial No. 755,913, filed August 19, 1958 for an Improvement in Velocity Flowmeters.

In devices of this character, the turbine wheel of the meter is assumed to rotate at a speed directly proportional to the average incoming axial velocity of the fluid. Inasmuch as the flow area at the turbine blades or vanes is constant, the volumetric flow of fluid through the meter is inferred from the speed of the rotating element of the axial flow turbine.

Ideally, all the factors that influence the proportionality between the average incoming axial fluid velocity and the rotational speed of the turbine wheel should be. constant under all conditions of operation. For a turbine'with blades or vanes of uniform and constant pitch, it is necessary that the angular change of velocity experienced by the fluid in passing through the turbine be, zero or some constant proportion of the inlet velocity. A'change of fluid velocity results in a change of fluid momentum, hence an exchange of mechanical energy between the fluid and the turbine wheel. If the turbine is operating as a motor, that is, if it is being driven by and extracts energy from the fluid, the fluid stream is bent by the turbine blades in a direction opposite to the direction of wheel rotation. If the turbine is operating as a pump, that is, if it is being driven by an external source and supplies energy to the fluid, the fluid stream is bent in the direction of wheel rotation. if the fluid stream is not rotated at all because of the turbine and experiences no angular velocity change in flowing past the turbine blades, there is no change of fluid momentum, arid hence there is no mechanical energy exchange between the fluid and the turbine wheel. For every value of the incoming fluid axial velocity, there exists a rotational speed of the h re bine wheel such that there is no change in fluid momentum and no relative exchang'e'of energy. between thefluid and the turbine wheel. The speed is herein termed the reference speed of the turbine, The deviation of rotational speed from reference speed is'termed slip, which is p'osi; tive when the turbine speed is of greater magnitude and negative when the turbine speed is of lesser magnitude. In known axial turbine flowmeters, the fluid flow pro} vides the source of power for rotation of the turbine whesl- Thefluid fl w l q S l e e e y't Oper te an output sensing device as well as to overcome bearing fric: tion and wu dr n th tu ae, rotor. ince the turbine wheel in this type of meter acts as a fluid motor, it operates always under negative slip, the magnitude of which varies with many factors, The required change, of fluid momentum causes an axial downstream thrust to be impressed on the turbine. Thus, thrust bearings are usually required, with an attendant increase of frictional loads. Some meters have an indicator, requiring s ignifi-. cant actuating power driven 'drictly. by the turbine. With very viscousfl uids energy losses due to rotational drag are substantial. All of these loads produce negative slip. of a varying and unpredictable nature.

In accordance with the present invention, the meter pitched in the flow. path to deflect the fluid into a helical path having a downstream rotational fluid velocity 3,224,272 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 component when a difference occurs between the actual fluid flow rate and the fluid flow rate at the reference speed of rotation of the rotor. The speed changing means for the included turbine rotor operates to reduce the rotational fluid velocity component of the downstream fluid to null depending on the' axial position of the rotor with respect to the axis of flow of the fluid. In this improved meter, the means providing an outut to operate the speed changing means includes parts that are respectively connected to the stator and the axially movable rotor of the turbine.

"Various further and more specific features and advantages of the invention are hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which show mechanical and electrical forms of the improved flowmeter.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation view of the improved meter showing a preferred form of mechanical embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on lines 2-2, in FIG. 1,

'FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on lines 3-3, in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on lines 4-4, in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a modified embodiment of the improved flowmeter in electrical form,

5 FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on lines 66, in FIG.

, and

FIG. 7 is a combined circuit and block diagram of electrical components utilized in the form of the invention shown in FIG. 5.

The improved meter illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, consists of a housing 1, containing a fluid inlet passage 2, a turbine wheel chamber 3, a flow turning passage 4, a motive flow passage 5, a fluid exit passage 6, a left hand turbine housing cavity 7, a right hand turbine housing cavity 8, and a generator rotor chamber 9. Passage 2 is separated from chamber 3 by a left hand bearing assembly 10. Chamber 3 is separated from cavity 7 by a wall 11 which is part of housing 1. Cavity 7, cavity 8, passage 4 and passage 6 all connect with passage 5. Cavity 8 is separated from chamber 9 by a right hand bearing assembly 12. Chamber 9 is separated and sealed from the outside of the housing 1 by a suitable plug 13. The rotating assembly 14 consists of a shaft 15 upon which are mounted an axial flow turbine wheel 16 with helical vanes or blades of constant and uniform pitch and spacing, a lefthand tangential flow turbine wheel 17 with flat radial blades, a right hand tangential flow turbine wheel 18 identical with turbine wheel 17, and a wheel 19 with radial teeth. All wheels are rigidly fixed to the shaft. The extreme left hand end 20 of shaft 15 is supported by the left hand. bearing assembly 10, the shaft being free to rotate and slide axially within the hearing. The central part 21 of shaft 15 separates turbines 16 and 17 and passes through a close fitting opening 22 in wall 11. The right hand end 23 of shaft 15 is supported by the right hand bearing assembly 12, within which the shaft is free to slide and rotate. The left hand bearing assembly 10 as shown in FIG. 2 consists of a sleeve bearing 24 pressed into a ball bearing 25, which in turn is pressed into a ring housing 26. The ring housing 26 is supported in the fluid passageway by three flat equally spaced cantilever springs 27 which are anchored in a suitable manner to the inner wall of housing 1. Shaft end 20 slides and rotates within sleeve bearing 24, which being attached to the inner race of ball bearing 25 is free to rotate with respect to the outer race, hence to rotate with respect to housing 26 which is rigidly attached to the outer race of ball bearing 25. Sleeve bearing 24 has no axial motion with respect to housing 26, but is permitted limited axial motion with respect to housing 1 due to flexure of springs 27 which allow axial motion of housing 26 with respect to housing 1. The advantages of this bearing construction will become apparent in the description of the operation of the meter. The components of right hand bearing assembly 12 are identical with those of left hand bearing assembly 10. A tachometer generator pickup 28 consists of a magnetically permeable case 29 which contains an electrical coil 30 and a cylindrical permanent magnet 31 as the coil core. The pickup is screwed into cavity 32 of housing 1 and seats against a bottom surface 33. An opening 34 of slightly larger diameter than magnet 31 extends from surface 33 to the inside of chamber 9. Magnet 31 extends through the opening 34 to the inner surface of chamber 9. There is a small gap between the end of magnet 31 and the outer surface of generator rotor wheel 19. Electrical leads 35 and 36 extend from the coil 30 of pickup 28 through electrical connector 37 to an electrical frequency meter 38 of conventional design.

As shown in FIG. 1, fluid flow represented by arrow Q, enters the housing 1 at passage 2, flows by bearing assembly into chamber 3 through the blades of turbine wheel 16. The fluid then flows into passage 4, where it is turned through one hundred and eighty degrees so as to flow upward through passage 5 into exit passage 6, and out of meter housing 1. The blades of turbine 16 are so pitched that as the fluid moves from left to right as viewed in FIG. 1, turbine wheel 16 and shaft assembly 14 rotate in a clockwise direction at a speed represented by arrow (.0. Tangential flow turbine wheel 17 is shown as being totally enclosed by cavity 7, hence, there is no interaction between turbine 17 and the fluid flowing in passage 5. As the shaft assembly 14 moves to the right with flow of fluid through the meter, turbine wheel 17 becomes partially exposed to the fluid stream. It is seen from FIG. 3 that the fluid stream impinges on a partial width of blades 39 of wheel 17 so as to apply torque to the shaft assembly 14 in a counterclockwise direction, looking from the right, which is the same direction of rotation as that of turbine wheel 16. As the shaft assembly 14 moves to the right from the neutral position show in FIG. 1, the more torque is applied to turbine 17 in the direction of rotation.

The fluid enters the axial flow turbine wheel 16 at an axial velocity V, as represented in the vector diagram. Since the flow area in the turbine 16 is constant, the resultant velocity remains constant in magnitude but variable in direction. The vector diagram at the turbine 16 in FIG, 1 shows the condition when shaft assembly 14 is rotating at less than reference speed, hence with negative slip. The fluid stream is bent in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation and the resultant velocity leaving the turbine is V at an angle 6 with respect to the axis, having an axial component Va and a rotational component Vr. The rotational velocity Vr is proportional to the absolute slip of the shaft assembly and the ratio Vr/V=sin 0 is proportional to the relative slip with respect to the reference speed. The axial component of exit velocity, Va is equal to V cos 0 and therefore becomes smaller than V as slip increases. An axial velocity drop exists across turbine 16 in that event and an axial force F is impressed in the direction of flow on turbine 16 and shaft assembly 14. The force F is equivalent to the rate of change of momentum across turbine 16 and F=pQ(VVtZ)=pQV(1-COS 6) where p is the density of the fluid, assumed to remain constant. This thrust force F causes the entire shaft assembly 14 to move to the right, gradually exposing the blades 39 of turbine 17 to the fluid stream and applying torque to accelerate the shaft assembly in the direction of rotation, decreasing Vr and 0. Motion to the right continues until Vr and 0 both equal zero, at which time Va equals V and the thrust force F equals zero. The shaft assembly is now rotating at reference speed. In this form of the invention, the meter provides a mechanical output that depends on the change in axial relation between the shaft and its bearings. The rotor speed changing means including turbines 17, 18 operates in accordance with the mechanical output to reduce the rotational fluid velocity component of the fluid downstream the axial turbine 16 to null. For high sensitivity of the shaft assembly to thrust force F the sliding friction of shaft assembly 14 is very small. To minimize friction and protect against seizure the special bearing assemblies 10 and 12 are used. The materials and tolerances of sleeve bearing 24 and shaft sections 20 and 23 are such that if bearing 24 were stationary, it would supply support with little axial or rotating friction. Since bearing 24 is mounted in ball bearing 25, the rotating friction is minimal. If either bearing sticks, the other will still permit free rotation. Springs 27 permit limited axial motion of all bearings. If bearing 24 seizes, flexure of springs 27 will still allow axial motion of shaft assembly 14 to expose turbine 17 to fluid flow; thus, the shaft assembly will be maintained at reference speed with but little variation in accuracy. Opening 22 in wall 11 and shaft sectio 21 are sized for larger clearance than the end bearings so that there will be no contact between shaft section 21 and wall 11 and, therefore, no friction.

The reference speed of rotation of the turbine element or shaft depends on the rate of fluid flow in the line and is the speed for a given flow rate at which there is no rotational reaction between the blades or vanes and the axially flowing fluid. For a given fluid, this speed within the capacity of the improved velocity flowmeter is also dependent on the pitch of the blades or vanes of the turbine. The vanes or blades of the improved flowmeter are pitched in the path of the flowing fluid to rotate the shaft at a related reference speed and deflect the fluid with a helical path having a downstream rotational fluid velocity component when a difference occurs between the actual fluid flow rate and the fluid flow rate at the reference speed of rotation of the turbine element.

The flowmeter shown in FIG. 1 is reversible. If the direction of flow Q is reversed, the direction of rotation and the vectors will be reversed. The thrust force F will act from right to left and turbine 18 will be exposed to the fluid stream. Turbine 17 will be fully protected from the flow at all times. In other respects, the operation will be the same as heretofore described.

The generator rotor wheel 19 is made of magnetically permeable material and acts as a variable reluctance path for the magnetic flux of permanent magnet 31 of the generator pickup 28. When one of the teeth 40 of rotor wheel 19 is opposite the top end of magnet 31, magnetic flux passes from the top end of the magnet, through the tooth, through part of housing 1, through the case 29 of pickup 28 and then to the lower end of magnet 31. When a gap in wheel 19 is opposite magnet wl, the flux passes through the clearance of opening 34 to the housing 1 rather than through the permeable tooth 40. Therefore, with every passage of a tooth by the magnet 31 there is a change in flux density linking the turns of coil 30. Accordingly, a periodic voltage is induced in coil 30 with a frequency proportional to the number of teeth in rotor wheel 19 and the rotational speed of the shaft assembly 14. This frequency is indicated by frequency meter 30 which is calibrated directly in units of fluid flow, since frequency is directly proportional to flow rate. The width of rotor wheel 19 is made large so as to envelope the opening 34. This is done to prevent'a'n overly large reduction in flux density with axial displacement of shaft assembly 14.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show the electrical embodiment of the invention. This type of meter is especially suited for the measurement of velocities in large fluid bodies such as wind velocity and river or ocean currents. The meter consists of a stationary assembly 114 and a rotating assembly 115. The rotating assembly consists of a central shaft 116, upon which are mounted a left hand rotating capacitor plate 117, a right hand rotating capacitor plate 118, and a slidable rotating tubrine assembly 119. Plates 117 and 118 are electrically insulated from shaft 116. The turbine assembly consists of a propeller-type turbine 120 with a hub and with multiple blades 121 of conventional section. Turbine 120 ismounted on shaft 116 through rotating ball bushing 122. The turbine assembly has a left hand end plate 123 and a right hand end plate 124. Both end plates have a substantial clearance with shaft 116. At its left end the shaft 116 also carries the short-circuited rotor 125 of an induction motor 126. At its right end the shaft carries the permanent magnet rotor 127 of an alternating current generator 128. Plate 123 is attached to plate 117 through a partially toroidal spring 129. Plate 124 is attached to plate 118 through partially toroidal spring 130. Trubine assembly 119 is rotated at the same speed and angle as shaft 116 by plate 117 through spring 129 and by plate 118 through spring 130. Although no rotational motion can occur, relative axial motion between turbine assembly 119 and shaft 116 takes place due to the flexure of springs 129 and 130. The respective springs are suitably insulated from the plates that the same connect.

The stationary assembly 114 consists of a left hand housing 131, a right hand housing 132 and a support bracket 133. Left hand housing 131 contains a left hand shaft ball bearing 134, the stator coil 135 of the induction motor 126 and a stationary left hand capacitor plate 136. Right hand housing 132 consists of a right hand shaft ball bearing 137, the stator coil 138 of generator 128 and a stationary right hand capacitor plate 139. Plate 136 is electrically insulated from housing 131. Plate 139 is electrically insulated from housing 132. The rotating assembly 115 is supported in the stationary assembly 114 by bearings 134 and 137.

With reference to FIG. 7, a constant carrier frequency voltage, preferably in the middle audio region, is generated by an oscillator 140 which supplies carrier frequency to a modulator 141, where the carrier frequency is modulated by a line frequency at constant voltage. The modulated carrier is fed to a capacitive bridge 142 consisting of one leg 143 with fixed capacitors 144 and 145 and variable capacitor 146 and a second leg 147 with fixed capacitors 148 and 149 and variable capacitor 150. One balance point 151 is between capacitors 144 and 145. The other balance point 152 is between capacitors 148 and 149. Any voltage difference between the balance points is fed to an amplifier 153 from which an amplified voltage at carrier frequency is fed to detector 154 where the carrier frequency is filtered. A signal at line frequency is passed from one detector 154 to a power amplifier 155 whose line frequency output is applied to coil 135, the control phase of split-phase induction motor 126. Fixed capacitor 145 of leg 143 is formed by plates 136 and 117. Variable capacitor 146 is formed by plates 117 and 123. Fixed capacitor 149 of leg 147 is formed by plates 139 and 118. Variable capacitor 150 is formed by plates 118 and 124. Capacitors 146 and 150 are inversely related to the axial position of turbine assembly 119. When turbine assembly 119 is in its center position, capacitors 146 and 150 are equal and the bridge is balanced. If turbine assembly 119 moves to the right of its center position, the gap between plates 124 and 118 decreases, increasing the value of capacitor 150. Also, the gap between plates 123 and 117 increases, decreasing the value of capacitor 146. The bridge is now unbalanced, and a voltage with a particular phase identified with motion to the right of the turbine assembly is fed to the carrier frequency amplifier 153 causing a torque to be applied to the rotor of motor 126 in the associated direction.

The propeller type blades121 of turbine 120 are so pitched that with fluid flowing from left to right the direction of rotation is clockwise, looking in the direction of flow. If the rotational speed of the turbine assembly is less than the reference speed for a given flow rate, the resultant fluid velocity will be bent by blades 121 through an angle 0 opposite to the direction of rotation, and there will be an axial force F in the direction of flow proportional to the change in magnitude of axial velocity (V-Va). This force will cause the turbine assembly to move to the right, producing the capacitive changes discussed above, and causing a torque to be applied in a direction to accelerate shaft 116 in the direction of rotation until the reference speed has been reached. If the rotational speed of the turbine is above the reference speed for a given flow rate, the turbine will move to the left and a decelerating torque will be applied to the shaft. Because of the use of capacitors to sense axial position very little motion of the turbine assembly is required for full torque application. Thus, the axial opposing forces of the toroidal springs are minimized. Friction is minimized due to the fact that there is only relative axial motion between the turbine assembly 119 and the shaft 116 permitting the use of a ball bushing, or a ball spline, either of which would be protected from dirt by the toroidal springs at both ends of the turbine assembly.

Since rotor 127 of generator 128 and turbine assembly 119 are driven by the same shaft 116, the voltage output of stator coil 138 is proportional to turbine speed, hence fluid velocity. The output of coil 138 is fed to indicating voltmeter 156 which is calibrated in terms of fluid velocity.

While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than of limitation and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects.

What is claimed is:

1. A velocity flowmeter including an axial flow turbine having a housing and a shaft rotating about and translatable along the turbine flow axis; said shaft including a plurality of blades in the path of a flowing fluid extending radially from and uniformly pitched with respect to the flow axis at a constant blade angle; means for sensing the translation of the shaft including an axial reference part fixed to the housing and a part bidirectionally translatable along the flow axis with the shaft with respect to the fixed part; a second turbine with an element attached to the shaft and arranged in the path of the flowing fluid for changing the rotational speed of the shaft in accordance with the sense and magnitude of the relative displacement of the fixed reference part and the translatable part caused by the change in velocity of the flowing fluid so as to null the axial force of the flowing fluid on the rotating blades; and means dependent on the rotational speed of the shaft for measuring the velocity of the fluid flowing through the turbine.

2. A flowmeter of the character claimed in claim 1, in which the element attached to the shaft of the second turbine is a wheel targential to the path of flow of the fluid.

3. A velocity flowmeter including a turbine having a housing with a conduit having a portion with an axial fluid flow path and a portion with a fluid flow path radial to the axial path, a shaft movable about an axis concentric to the axial fluid flow path with blades in the axial flow path portion of uniform pitch extending radially to the axis, said shaft rotating in the path of a flowing fluid and translating a constant blade angle with respect to the housing along the axis when the fluid changes velocity, a pair of axially spaced, opposingly arranged, tangential turbine wheels fixedly mounted on the shaft in the radial fluid flow portion of the conduit operable to change the rotational speed of the shaft to null the axial force of the flowing fluid on the blades, and means dependent on the rotational speed of the shaft for measuring the velocity of the fluid flowing through the turbine.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Blair 73185 Blair 73230 Blair 73230 Mercier et a1 73-187 Smaby 73-187 7/1962 Hollmann 73-231 FOREIGN PATENTS 281,116 12/1927 Great Britain. 444,182 1/ 1949 Italy.

RICHARD C. QUEISSER, Primary Examiner.

DAVID SCHONBERG, Examiner. 

1. A VELOCITY FLOWMETER INCLUDING AN AXIAL FLOW TURBINE HAVING A HOUSING AND A SHAFT ROTATING ABOUT AND TRANSLATABLE ALONG THE TURBINE FLOW AXIS; SAID SHAFT INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF BLADES IN THE PATH OF A FLOWING FLUID EXTENDING RADIALY FROM AND UNIFORMLY PITCHED WITH RESPECT TO THE FLOW AXIS AT A CONSTANT BLADE ANGLE; MEANS FOR SENSING THE TRANSLATION OF THE SHAFT INCLUDING AN AXIAL REFERENCE PART FIXED TO THE HOUSING AND A PART BIDIRECTIONALLY TRANSLATABLE ALONG THE FLOW AXIS WITH THE SHAFT WITH RESPECT TO THE FIXED PART; A SECOND TURBINE WITH AN ELEMENT ATTACHED TO THE FIXED SHAFT AND ARRANGED IN THE PATH OF THE FLOWING FLUID FOR CHANGING THE ROTATIONAL SPEED OF THE SHAFT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SENSE AND MAGNITUDE OF THE RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT OF THE FIXED REFERENCE PART AND THE TRANSLATABLE PART CAUSED BY THE CHANGE IN VELOCITY OF THE FLOWING FLUID SO AS TO NULL THE AXIAL FORCE OF THE FLOWING FLUID ON THE ROTATING BLADES; AND MEANS DEPENDENT ON THE ROTATIONAL SPEDD OF THE SHAFT FOR MEASURING THE VELOCITY OF THE FLUID FLOWING THROUGH THE TURBINE. 